What is the relationship between literature and philosophy? In what ways is writing an act of philosophizing, and vice versa? This course addresses these questions in two ways: first, by exploring accounts of literature’s philosophical resonances from ancient Greece to today; and, second, by examining literature that explicitly tests out beliefs, concepts, and ideas. Across the semester, we will therefore read a wide range of poets, novelists, and philosophers.

Requirements

No exams. Instead, students will write three essays.

Material

Octavia Butler, Dawn (paperback, Aspect) - Xenogenesis, Book 1

Elaine Scarry, On Beauty and Being Just (paperback, University of Chicago Press)